Oct 3, 2012

A velvety mushroom soup that is low in fat, yet rich in flavor. Perfect for lunch with a sandwich on the side, or makes a lovely first course for dinner.

I first posted this recipe December 2010, back when I was still working a full time job and running home to cook and take photos. Most of those photos are pretty bad, so I am slowly re-shooting them. The photo just didn't do this soup justice - it's so flavorful and light at the same time, even my teen who could care less about eating "light" often requests this.

And, it's so simple to make, the shitake mushrooms give this soup incredible flavor, I wouldn't substitute them. If you are watching your sodium, you can certainly use less bouillon or replace it with chicken broth.

Place cold water and flour in a blender and blend until smooth; pour into a medium pot and set heat to medium.

Add celery, mushrooms, chicken bullion and butter and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove celery and a cup of soup and place in a blender, blend until smooth, then return it to the pot and simmer a few minutes.

150 comments
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Hi Gina .. I have been following your blog for some time now ... love it... However I have just been diagnosed with diabetes.... do you know of any cooking link blogs in associates with cooking for diabetes ? if so contact me at tadalaura@verizon.net

You might want to take a look at Prevention RD: http://www.preventionrd.com/. She posts a lot of diabetic-friendly recipes and also answers questions. If you scroll down a bit and look on the right side of the page, you can see her recipe tags; click on the one that says "diabetes" to see all her diabetic recipes.

We're in a similar situation: my partner was diagnosed a few months ago. It really helped us to go to the local Diabetes Learning Center and talk to the diabetes educators there; if your doctor doesn't suggest it, you might talk to him or her about whether it's a good idea for you. Good luck to you! The whole thing is a bit overwhelming at first, but you'll figure it out!

Hi - another great resource is The Best Life. I worked on the Best Life Diabetes book (http://www.amazon.com/Best-Guide-Managing-Diabetes-Pre-Diabetes/dp/B0052HKQ78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350141666&sr=8-1&keywords=best+life+diabetes) and it is super helpful.

The Best Life online community also has diabetes support. http://www.thebestlife.com/weight-loss-plan-details/diabetes-support/

And for some inspiration, check out Michelle's success story! I've worked with Michelle for years and she is awesome! http://www.thebestlife.com/weight-loss-plan-details/diabetes-support/success-michelle-f.php

Hey Gina! I am so excited to see this recipe. I live near the mushroom capital of the country so there's always good mushroom soup around but obviously it is so high in calories/fat! I was thinking about you and the WW transition. What do you think so far? I'm loving it!

Gina,It is awesome that you are calculating for the new points plus. I am so happy. I love your site and you do a marvelous job giving us the best tasting food for low points values. Thank you for being SO considerate to those of us who follow you and W.W.

I'm not sure if it's just me... but the last part of the Recipe seems to be incomplete? I don't understand the last sentance? "Remove celery and a cup of soup in the blender, then return back to the pot."

I can't wait to make this... I have been searching for a recipe like this!

I was confused by this too, but it seems that you are supposed to chop up the celery - I'm going to assume in half or at least large slices - and puree it in the blender with the purpose of making the soup more thick. The reason it's a bit unclear is because we aren't sure WHY we are blending the celery.

I am going to try this tonight! I happened upon this website one day and I think you are fabulous for sharing your wonderful recipies! Thank you so much ~ you are definitely making it easier for me and many others to continue a healthier lifestyle!!

I threw out the celery because it's not my favorite! If you put more then 1 cup in the blender you can thicken it up just a bit. I also added thyme. It is very good, I served it to guests and they loved it! Great website Gina, you are very talented.

hi gina! how well does this keep? i was thinking of making some for lunches this week but i'm worried about the mushrooms getting soggy. what do you think? could i leave the mushrooms out and adding them to the rest on the day i want to eat it?

I love mushroom soup on cold winter days! I often use a mixture of oyster and shiitake mushrooms in my homemade soups. I find the velvety texture of the oyster mushrooms complements the cream very well. Thanks for sharing!- Brittany

YUM YUM YUM! Gina- I made the recipe last night... and it was delish! My husband loved it too! There was just a little left over for my lunch today... My husband will be sad once he finds out I snatched it from the fridge! :) I'm sure I'll be making some more this week! Great recipe! We are also going to try the Mushroom B-fast cassarole and mushroom pork chops! I see a lil theme going on... and I love it! Thanks for all the great recipes! :)

I absolutely love your site, everything we have made has been so delicious (and so healthy!). thank so much for the time and effort you put in every day :)i cannot wait to make this soup for tonight, it will be perfect for these chilly days!

This actually looks quite a bit like the mushroom soup some folks make for Christmas in my native Slovakia! Here is one recipe, http://www.slovakcooking.com/2010/recipes/mushroom-soup/, but I made a variation of it few weeks back for a big 100-person dinner. This second time, I started off with onions, added the mushrooms, just a small batch of potatoes, and sliced prunes. Salt, pepper and red pepper to taste, and just enough sour cream at the end to turn it creamy colored (but still remain quite brothy). The prunes totally dissolved, but I think they gave the soup very nice flavor. People loved it, and I've been eating left overs for the past week :)

If people knew how simple it was to make your own great tasting soup from scratch, would they still buy it in a can? I never buy canned soups, it's so easy to whip up a soup with whatever veggies you have on hand.

Gina this soup is amazing! One thing though...I carefully measured my servings and only had enough to make 3 servings...perhaps I simmered it on the stove too long??? I let it go on low for quite a bit while doing other things in the kitchen.

I LOVED THIS!! I used 4 cups of the actual broth (box-low sodium kind) and just a box of (8 oz) of mushrooms - nothing fancy. As I blended it in the blender after the simmering, I added 1/2 c FF MILK......and also used LIGHT BUTTER so I could add more....WOW!! WAS IT YUMMY!!!Thanks Gina......this is in my favorites on my e-tools! I am loving it!

I only had a handful of shitake mushrooms, so I added some diced (and later mashed) potatoes in order to add some thickness. I'm also on a goat cheese kick, so I sprinkled some on top for a bit of tangy-ness. It was yummy!

This was delicious!! I used fat free soup instead of water and when I blended celery I also blended some of the mushrooms...this added extra thickness. I want to thank you for your creative awesome recipes. I'm a foodie and love to cook. Finding your website has made my WW experience so much more enjoyable. Keep up the great work and know you are helping others achieve their weight goal painlessly.

I made this for dinner tonight and my family loved it. I used the celery but also added a carrot stick, some onion, and a clove of garlic. After they were soft, I used my food processor with a cup of the broth and added it back into the soup. This is so delicious, and is definitely on the make again list! Thanks for the recipe!

I made this tonight. I used I Can't Beleive it's Not Butter spray. I also used 2 3.5 oz containers of Shitake mushrooms (I was too lazy to measure out). I blended more than a cup of the soup because my mushrooms were so big. My soup was very brown, not light like yours, but it was still good.

Oh my, I just made this soup. It was delicious! Gina, you never disappoint! As a garlic lover, I put a little garlic powder as an afterthought. I wonder if it would be good with a clove or two boiled right along with the rest of it and then pureed. I think I will try that next time.

These low point soup recipes are really helping me. I have been enjoying a bowl of soup before both lunch and dinner and I really feel full, but the pounds are still coming off. Awesome!

I made this the other night - I wasn't so sure how a healthy mushroom soup would taste, but it was SOO good AND EASY! I used chicken stock and regular mushroom instead of baby bellas b/c that's what I had. Had some dehydrated shitakes - just soaked/boiled them & then added some of the water it soaked in. And I blended most of the shitakes. My boyfriend and I both LOVED it (I still can't believe how easy it was)! I can't wait to make all your other soups and recipes! Thank you!

What a waste of time & money! This soup is not creamy or velvety--it's not even white! It's watery & brown; it looked like dirty dishwater! It is also in dire need of some salt! I had to add extra flour, cornstarch, & salt to make it palatable so it wouldn't be a complete waste. I followed the recipe exactly. I don't understand the good reviews!

I added a touch of salt & pepper, used real butter (just less than what was called for), and a splash (approx. 1tbsp) of dry sherry. This recipe is delicious, simple, and versatile. It's just plain good.

I have been a lurker to the site for a long time and love your recipes Gina! It has answered my prayer of cooking healthy for my family while maintaining taste. I try a different soup every week and that is the main part of my lunch. I have to say this soup is great! At the end I used a strainer to get the soup in a bowl without most of the mushrooms. I then used my hand blender to thicken the soup. I blended the celery, a few mushrooms and added 1 russet potato to thicken it up. I also took another users advice and added salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder to flavor it while simmering. I only allowed to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Loved this soup even used leftovers from a double batch to create tune casserole. Didn't have Shitake used portabella and white cap mushrooms and it turned out great. Also have a vegetarian in my house so used vegetable broth. I can't use canned soups because of the MSG so I be using your sight for more recipes thanks :)Cidrocks

Gina...This soup is delicious! I made last night for an appetizer and was floored. I could not believe how rich and savory it was with only the little bit of butter and flour. I will be making this again and again and again. THANK YOU!!!!

I so love this soup! Thanks Gina for all the great recipes. I love all the ones that I have tried (which is a lot of them) and so does my husband. You have really helped with my weight loss journey with WW. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Hi Gina,When you call for 5oz of shiitake mushrooms, are you referring to dry shitake mushrooms or reconstituted? Dry are almost $5/oz, so all of a sudden these dishes get pricey if dry is what you are referring to.

Hi Gina, I have been making this soup since your first post and I LOVE it as I do ALL of your recipes. I always make a double batch. I'm so excited that it's soup weather again. Thank-you for all you do for me/us. You have been such a God send. Sandeef

hello, i love your blog, in so nice. I work to weight watcher, i'm leader. jijijijij, but in spain. I like so much your recipes. But today i have a question: what is baby bella?? i tried to translate but it's no possible. If you can tell me i'll be so congratulation!. Kisses (sorry for my english)

I just copied it. My husband and I are back on the Program again after a month in Germany eating way toooo much. I have never made this without cream, but will try the chicken broth suggestion. Thanks for a good and helpful blog for people like me.

oh my so happy to see this recipe, i cant wait to try it. sounds wonderful now that fall is here.

all your recipes ive tried have been amazing even the ones i havent tried either look or sound great. you should honestly come out with a cookbook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i would purchase it immediately, itd be amazing and easier to look at when cooking then using my phone or computer. lol. plus all the healthy cookbooks ive gotten havent been all that good but i know yours would be a big hit. please if you come out with a cookbook announce it immediately. :) thanks for making delicious healthy recipes

A little off topic... but where did you get the soup bowls with a handle?! I remember my mom had some '70s brown ones like this, but they're LONG GONE, but yours are so awesome... like some of my pottery pieces! ~Beckie

Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I cannot have dairy but LOVE thick soup - this totally fit the bill. I just used the white mushrooms (since I had those) and I think I would add a little garlic powder and pepper next time, but it was delicious and so satisfying! My 14 year old loved it too!

This is so yummy!! I made a double batch of it to give to my aunt. I had a little for lunch today and the rest is for dinner tonight with some garlic bread. It was creamy enough, but I added a little bit of half and half to it to make it a little more like cream soup for my hubby. I love your recipes and more importantly it helps me get some healthy meals into my hubby without him even knowing it.

Tried this soup, pretty good but not creamy. Thinly creamy maybe. I used vegetable stock instead of water, wonder if that was the problem.This didn't freeze well. I took one to work yesterday and the "creamy" stuff (celery and mushroom puree) separated from the liquid base of the soup.

If you do not have broth, and you want to buy something that keeps and saves space which is better than bullion try using all natural "chicken base."Mixing "base" is made from real product and doesnt have the concentrated sodium bullion has and has much more flavor. Also if you take out half of the mushroom soup and mix half with an immersion or stick blender and return the other half after blended you will have a nice creamy silky texture... so much so you can leave out that added flour as you just thickened with your extra mushrooms...If you do want it creamier then mix that butter and flour in the recipe together beforehand to make a roux and add the roux to the soup to thicken (make sure ou cook the flour taste through after it is added) and that will add some real thickness and flavor ... but that is where all of your real carbs and calories are... Love mushroom soup. Thanks!Garywww.tasteitmyway.blogspot.com

I discovered your site by accident & made this soup. It was wonderful.I just made a few changes. I didn't use the blender just put flour & water in a jar.After cooking it I put it in my crockpot & just befolre serving I added a cup of fat free cream and a cup of instant potatoes to thicken it. I let it cook in the crockpot for about 20 min more.I'm 85 yrs young and a new computer user. It's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks.

This is a great recipe. You can make it a bit heartier by adding chopped carrots and some fresh herbs like Rosemary - for an earthy flavor, Tarragon or Oregano- for a milder flavorBasil or Dill for a springtime flavor.

Another great add in to make this taste like a restaurant soup would be to add a tsp of coriander - I've worked with a chef and this was a staple to add to cream soups like mushroom, celery, carrot, broccoli, and cauliflower. I would imagine you could substitute the different veggies to make different cream soups as well!

I just made this soup with regular white mushrooms and was thrilled with how it came out! Has that restaurant style flavor that I love without all the heaviness. I actually ended up putting the majority of the soup back in the blender to puree leaving a few of the sliced mushrooms and loved how that texture came out. Thanks for a great recipe :)

I ended up using bouillon cubes, and also added rotisserie seasoning and a little chicken stock. Came out great. Served with 1/2 cup rice for dinner last night. Delish. Was even better for lunch today.

I made this for my soup of the week, and it turned out wondeful!! Soooo yummy! I like mushrooms, don't love them, but this will be made again. I did add one more teaspoon of the Better than Bullion to it. And I think I might have cooked it a little high, because when I was done I only had 4 1.5 cup servings and not five. Wonderful though!!!

Good heavens, this was delicious. I didn't bother with the blender; just whisked the flour and water well before putting it in the pot. Used all cremini mushrooms, and when it was done I used my stick blender to blend it right in the pan. It was amazingly easy and fast, too. Yum!

This soup was delicious! My husband and daughters loved it too! It tastes like something we used to get at our favorite French restaurant! I don't have a blender so I used an immersion blender and it did the trick with no mess! We will definitely be having this again!

I've made this a few times and always adapt it. My favorite was to add a third cup or so of potato flakes (60 calories total) and a glass of white wine, one cup half and half...garlic salt and white pepper.

Just finished making this soup and it is DELICIOUS. I just had my wisdom teeth removed yesterday, so I decided to blend all of the soup instead of just one cup, for ease of eating. It was perfect, and quite a treat. Thank you Gina!